Huss introduces 2000 grad McKoy as head football coach

Monday

GASTONIA — Hunter Huss High School’s new head football coach doesn’t plan to take it easy on his players, and at least some of the returnees say that suits them just fine.

The school on Monday announced Jamar McKoy as the new coach and gave the returning players a chance to meet him. McKoy, 32, is a 2000 Hunter Huss graduate who teaches history at nearby Grier Middle School and most recently coached at Ashbrook High School.

This will be McKoy’s first stint as a head football coach.

“I know change is difficult but if you’re willing to work with me, I promise you’ll see some major results,” McKoy told the players assembled in the school’s auditorium.

McKoy played three years of varsity football at Hunter Huss as a wide receiver and free safety. He then played two seasons on special teams and as a wide receiver at Mars Hill and later one season at N.C. Central as a wide receiver. He graduated from N.C. Central in 2006.

His football coaching experience includes two years as a high school assistant: one at Chiefland High School in Florida and this past season as wide receivers coach at Ashbrook. McKoy served as defensive coordinator at Grier Middle School in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

In addition to football, McKoy has coached track and field at Ashbrook as head coach in 2012 and 2013 and at Grier as head girls coach in 2010 and 2011.

A five-member committee including principal Torben Ross interviewed 13 candidates for the job on Dec. 30. “Probably close to 20 applied,” Ross said, and six or seven of them were from Gaston County. The other committee members were athletic director Steve Gardner, assistant principals Joel Lineberger and Jamie Peoples and booster club president Mitzi Jordan.

“I think he will work hard and I think he’ll be about our children and that’s what I want,” Ross said.

Two uncertainties surrounding McKoy’s transition to the new job are where he will teach and what political duties he’ll retain.

McKoy is in his second year as a lateral-entry history teacher at Grier Middle School. McKoy would take a history teaching position at Hunter Huss if one opens up but would otherwise remain at Grier as a teacher. McKoy and Ross prefer the former.

“It’s extremely important to be on staff here,” McKoy said. “I need to see my student athletes from the time they get here until the time they get to practice.”

McKoy was elected chair of the Gaston County Democratic Party in May 2013, and that term doesn’t end until May 2015. He said he’ll need to speak with his executive team about whether he will finish the term. McKoy unsuccessfully ran for N.C. House of Representatives in 2012 and was in talks of running again but said he no longer will run for office given his new coaching position.

McKoy takes the place of Gardner, who resigned in December after 17 years as head coach and remains at the school as athletic director. Gardner coached McKoy at Hunter Huss.

That much became evident as soon as McKoy informed the players he will require Saturday practices during the season. These practices will consist mostly of weight lifting and film sessions rather than on-the-field work.

None of that seemed to bother two of the team’s top returning players, who gave him a positive welcome.

“I like him — his goals and what he wants to accomplish and how he’s going to push us to make us better,” junior quarterback Andrew Jordan said.

Said junior linebacker/fullback Delmonte McClure: “I feel like we’ve got a good chance to make it to the state championship and have a better team than we were last year. I feel like we’ll be more disciplined than we were last year and more organized.”

McKoy hopes to have his assistant coaching staff in place by next week. He told the returning players that some of last year’s assistant coaches will probably be back on the sideline while others might not. McKoy plans to coordinate the defense himself and will hire an offensive coordinator.

Defensively, McKoy plans to run a 4-3 base scheme. He doesn’t want to commit to a particular offensive system until he can evaluate his players and determine which system is best suited for them.

McKoy inherits a team that went 6-8 this past season and reached the 2AA state quarterfinals. Hunter Huss tied for third in the Big South 2A/3A Conference.

“We can bring the Bell back here,” McKoy told the players, referring to a five-year losing streak against rival Ashbrook for the Victory Bell. “We can bring the conference championship here. And we can be in Raleigh for the state championship.”

McKoy’s wife Tiffany and their children Carmen and Winston were also present for Monday’s announcement.

“I look forward to this fall. I really do,” McKoy said. “I’m excited and I know that this is going to be a big step in my coaching career but at the end of the day we’re going to make the Huskies family proud of the program that we’re building here.”

Playing experience: Played wide receiver and free safety for three varsity seasons at Hunter Huss. Played special teams and wide receiver at Mars Hill for two seasons. Played wide receiver one season at N.C. Central.

Coaching experience: Assistant football coach at Chiefland High School in Florida, 2002; Defensive coordinator at Grier Middle School, 2010, 2011 and 2012; Head girls track and field coach at Grier Middle School, 2010 and 2011; Head track and field coach at Ashbrook High School, 2012 and 2013; Wide receivers coach at Ashbrook High School, 2013.

Other experience: Elected chair of Gaston County Democratic Party in May 2013. Ran for N.C. House of Representatives in 2012 and was defeated by Kelly Hastings.

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